KARACHI: Former special assistant to the premier on health Dr Zafar Mirza said Saturday that he had recommended a country-wide lockdown in March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit Pakistan.
Speaking at the Arts Council Karachi, Dr Mirza talked about his journey as Pakistan's defacto health minister under a pandemic. "I suggested strict restrictions to contain the virus spread and recommended we lock down the country."
Dr Mirza had been been appointed as a special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on health in April 2019. Prior to that, he led the Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property team at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland for six years.
"I returned to Pakistan on a personal request made by PM Imran Khan," he said at the arts council. In July 2019, the former special assistant resigned in the backdrop of public scrutiny over the matter of dual nationalities held by members of PM Imran Khan's cabinet.
Following his exit, there were speculations that the renowned healthcare professional would assume a role in the WHO. Responding to those reports, Dr Mirza said today that he could not leave Pakistan after "seeing all the problems faced by the country".
It may be noted here that Pakistan was able to limit coronavirus infections to less than 300,000 in the first wave after taking prompt actions to lockdown the country and then reopen the economy in phases.
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